Looking for good Nurgle resources/advice

[Smeborg]

Congrats, number6, on the 300th post.

Sure Hands is the best defence against Strip Ball.

I suspect I have got better over time at maximising the use of Foul Appearance, in the same way that I seem to have improved my blocking game with Nurgle (exploiting their raw strength to lay down ever more blocks). Although it is hard to quantify, I seem to get more F-App rolls of 1 by my opponents than whey I first played Nurgle. I think this is caused by ever better positioning of the Warriors, including inviting blocks on them by opponents when appropriate.

It is also why I favour Block as first skill on the Warriors, followed by S-Firm (yet to be realised, as you will see from my roster above). In this way you invite the following odds of no result or better when facing a 2-dice block from a player with Block:

0 Skill: 19%
1 Skill: 26%
2 Skill: 54%

Another way of looking at it is simply to see Block and S-Firm as extensions of F-App (inviting ever greater odds of a wasted Block action).

[Carnis]

Congrats, number6, on the 300th post.
0 Skill: 19%
1 Skill: 26%
2 Skill: 54%

Another way of looking at it is simply to see Block and S-Firm as extensions of F-App (inviting ever greater odds of a wasted Block action).

The flipside is ofc, that stand firm does nearly nothing vs AG teams, who wouldn't dare block your warriors anyway . But yea, FA is a great skill, especially on the LOS coupled with Block/Guard, so your opponent doesnt even get to try more than 1-2 times..

[mattgslater]

Congrats, number6, on the 300th post.

With a little luck he'll roll doubles and get Mighty Post.

[mattgslater]

The flipside is ofc, that stand firm does nearly nothing vs AG teams, who wouldn't dare block your warriors anyway.

They will if you position them right. Front up on a receiver with a Block/SF Warrior, and that guy is no longer a valid target. If it's an AG4 Catch/Leap type, you may need a second DP zone or a Rotter or Pest in a square trap (both if he's AG5, preferably with Tackle on the safety Pest), but who else besides the Beast can lock down two such players with so little investment?

There's more. It's great for play on and near the line, whether you're rushing a shallow kick, absorbing a blitz, preventing a chain or follow-in, or positioning to deny a route. Lock your SF Warrior onto the ball, and it's suddenly much more difficult (2 points of MA) to get in on the ball, pick it up and get it out of penalty range, no matter how many guys have coverage. Not to mention, you can only get his TZ off the pickup by getting a knockdown. Plus, 2TTDs against a team that's spammed Stand Firm are Leap-or-nothing and generally either easily neutralized or self-defeating, and 1TTDs are nigh-impossible.

There's also the bit about line-blocks. No matter how much Guard you have, a ST3 team with just two Guard players will get 2d on your whole Nurgle line, every time, unless FA screws them up (barring some +ST on your team). They can't chain you without high ST and/or some Grab, but FA discourages chain games anyway, except against other high-ST teams. Stand Firm is actually better at cutting down the number of 2d blocks you have to take by preventing follow-ups and pulling off would-be assists.

[Smeborg]

The flipside is ofc, that stand firm does nearly nothing vs AG teams, who wouldn't dare block your warriors anyway .

As Matt points out, S-Firm is good against AG teams in so far as it enables you to mark potential receivers and put them at -2 to catch (a tackle zone + F-App). It can also force an AG team to dodge through tackle zones when they might otherwise not need to.

The reason I now look forward to S-Firm on the Warriors (after Block, of course) is precisely because it works against both ST and AG (the former by soaking up blocks, the latter by stymying receivers). And I plan as the third skill: Tentacles. Now that will be just fine and dandy against AG.

The most difficult development challenge for teams like Nurgle is to come up with a workable plan that is equally good against all teams. I'm not saying I've got this right, but it's a big part of the goal I am working towards.

All the best.

[Ullis]

After looking at the arguments for and against SF for warriors, what would you consider the ideal spread of SF for the warriors? Would two be enough at start or is is a synergistic thing meaning that the more the merrier? Would it make sense to follow the following plan?

(In order of skilling up):

1st warrior: Block, Guard, SF
2nd warrior: Block, SF, Guard
3rd warrior: Block, SF, Guard
4th warrior: Block, Guard, SF

Of course someone could roll +ST, but doubles could be Side Step (which I guess is better for warriors). The idea is that the first ST4 Guard on the team is awesome (and I already have one but I have two warriors at 14 and 15 SPP's). The fourth could be SF after Block first too, but I think that three skill Nurgle warriors mostly live in the realm of theory bowl and two warriors with Guard look good too.

[mattgslater]

My plan, and I'm a long way from it...

1: Block, SF, Tents
2: Block, Guard, SF
3: Guard, SF, Block
4: Block, SF, Guard

[Carnis]

My plan, and I'm a long way from it...

1: Block, SF, Tents
2: Block, Guard, SF
3: Guard, SF, Block
4: Block, SF, Guard

I'd love to have that #1 warrior as well. I wonder though, I've seen 3 people with their plan for nurgle warriors. I checked my stats in stuntyleeg, my NWs averaged 6 blocks/match * 4 = 24 blocks per match with potential for MB usage.

Are you guys sure there's no room for MB in that?

[mattgslater]

I haven't tried it with Nurgle. I sometimes take a massive gob of MB with Orcs, but they have a 4-skill head start. Even then, it's mostly the Blitzers who take MB. BOBs really need a skill to do their jobs right as other teams start getting Guard; it almost doesn't matter which, but Block, Stand Firm or Guard is really important if you want to keep control at the line rather than letting faster teams range about the open field, or letting heavy teams partition you off.

[Smeborg]

I am a "generalist" rather than a "specialist", that is, I like to develop my players of the same type along the same lines. For me, more than enough specialisation is provided by the roster (the Beast), stat increases (I have a +1ST Warrior on this season's team), and by the need for at least one specialist ball handler (a Pestigor Runner).

This season, I plan to test the idea of Block, S-Firm on the Warriors (I also have a Beast with Block, who will take S-Firm as his first normal skill, to complement the Warriors). For the third normal skill on the Warriors, I am not 100% decided. I do not plan to create a slayer team (for my money, if that's what you want, play Chaos or Chaos Pact). The three skills I am contemplating are:

Grab
Guard
Tentacles

Now I think that a five skill Warrior with Block/S-Firm/Tentacles/Grab/Guard would be superb. Such a player would be particularly good at "escorting" opponents into the crowd. But I can't decide the order. Perhaps Grab would be the best third skill? It is common for a Warrior to mark two opponents. Grab allows him to block one of them, while remaining in contact with both. And Grab seems equally good against ST and AG teams, which is part of my "philosophy". But Tentacles is also very tempting.

[mattgslater]

1x Tents
3x Guard

You can take Grab on a Pest or on the BON. It's a really good skill to have one copy of, but Warrior skills are precious. With Orcs, I like Grab as a first skill for my #4 BOB (great vs. those who overestimate how cool Guard really is), but I would think that Nurgle have enough gimmicks to satisfy one in the early going.

I'd take Guard over Block on one Warrior if Stand Firm is your universal #2: a pair of Block/SF Warriors flanking a Guard Warrior is very intimidating.

[SunDevil]

What an amazing thread. It has me seriously thinking of switching one of my next season teams to Nurgle.

Smeborg! Check your PMs or PM me! I have a question for you!

[Smeborg]

What an amazing thread. It has me seriously thinking of switching one of my next season teams to Nurgle.

Smeborg! Check your PMs or PM me! I have a question for you!

"Normal" e-mail sent. I am greatly enjoying this thread, too. All the best.

[Ullis]

I played a game against a human team yesterday. I'd calculated the SPP's for one of my warriors erroneously and had a skill to roll before the match. It was not ST (11 in fact) and I took Guard instead of Stand Firm. That was my second Block+Guard warrior on the team.

My impressions were that the warriors are just too slow to make optimal use of Guard. I suck at positioning Guard players but still I think that I'd be better served with Stand Firm. During the game a warrior at 14 SPP's caused a casualty and I took Stand Firm on him. I'll have to see how he works out. I just have a vague instinct that I need two SF warriors for it to work best and unfortunately my fourth warrior is still languishing at 0 SPP's. The stupid lug tied the game for me as well by both downing himself on a block where even a push would've been enough.

[Smeborg]

Ullis - I share your feelings about Guard on the Warriors. I like Guard on Rotters - sadly my only Block/Guard Rotter this season has died (as Rotters do). Guard is good on the Beast, but only as a relativley late skill.

I too will attempt a S-Firm strategy on the Warriors this season. After 13 games, one has 11 SPPs and +1ST, so is not in contention for Guard any time soon, another has 11 SPPs and Block, another has 9 SPPs and Block, and the laggard is bringing up the rear with 0 SPPs. So I'm not holding my breath while I wait for S-Firm.

In other developments, 2 of my skilled Pestigors (Wrestlers) have just got crippled in the same game (-1MA and Niggle). I've replaced the -1MA Pestigor right away, and will replace the other when I have funds. This means the team has now lost 41SPPs to deaths and injuries in 13 games. Team development is starting to look lopsided. 2 players have half the skill advances, and if anything, this is likely to get more extreme. Very typical of Nurgle in my experience!